{"id":16323,"date":"2026-02-25T12:35:27","date_gmt":"2026-02-25T12:35:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/?p=16323"},"modified":"2026-02-25T12:42:30","modified_gmt":"2026-02-25T12:42:30","slug":"cji-surya-kant-ncert-corruption-in-judiciary-class-8-book","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/cji-surya-kant-ncert-corruption-in-judiciary-class-8-book\/","title":{"rendered":"CJI Surya Kant Objects to NCERT Class 8 Book Mentioning Corruption in Judiciary"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"supreme-court-raises-concern-over-ncert-class-8-book-mentioning-corruption-in-judiciary\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Supreme_Court_Raises_Concern_Over_Ncert_Class_8_Book_Mentioning_%E2%80%9CCorruption_In_Judiciary%E2%80%9D\"><\/span>Supreme Court Raises Concern Over Ncert Class 8 Book Mentioning \u201cCorruption In Judiciary\u201d<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>In a significant development, the Supreme Court witnessed strong remarks from Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, who expressed serious concern over references to \u201ccorruption in the judiciary\u201d in a newly released Class 8 Social Science textbook by National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT).<\/p><div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_82_2 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #0c0c0c;color:#0c0c0c\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #0c0c0c;color:#0c0c0c\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/cji-surya-kant-ncert-corruption-in-judiciary-class-8-book\/#Supreme_Court_Raises_Concern_Over_Ncert_Class_8_Book_Mentioning_%E2%80%9CCorruption_In_Judiciary%E2%80%9D\" >Supreme Court Raises Concern Over Ncert Class 8 Book Mentioning \u201cCorruption In Judiciary\u201d<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/cji-surya-kant-ncert-corruption-in-judiciary-class-8-book\/#What_Does_The_New_Ncert_Book_Say\" >What Does The New Ncert Book Say?<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/cji-surya-kant-ncert-corruption-in-judiciary-class-8-book\/#Issues_Mentioned_In_The_Textbook\" >Issues Mentioned In The Textbook<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/cji-surya-kant-ncert-corruption-in-judiciary-class-8-book\/#Pending_Cases_Data_Cited\" >Pending Cases Data Cited<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/cji-surya-kant-ncert-corruption-in-judiciary-class-8-book\/#Contrast_With_The_Previous_Textbook\" >Contrast With The Previous Textbook<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/cji-surya-kant-ncert-corruption-in-judiciary-class-8-book\/#Why_The_Supreme_Court_Objected\" >Why The Supreme Court Objected<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/cji-surya-kant-ncert-corruption-in-judiciary-class-8-book\/#Balancing_Transparency_And_Institutional_Integrity\" >Balancing Transparency And Institutional Integrity<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/cji-surya-kant-ncert-corruption-in-judiciary-class-8-book\/#Larger_Constitutional_Perspective\" >Larger Constitutional Perspective<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/cji-surya-kant-ncert-corruption-in-judiciary-class-8-book\/#Conclusion\" >Conclusion<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<p>The Chief Justice made it clear that he would not permit any attempt to defame or denigrate the judiciary as an institution and indicated that appropriate action may follow if required.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"what-does-the-new-ncert-book-say\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_Does_The_New_Ncert_Book_Say\"><\/span>What Does The New Ncert Book Say?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The updated Social Science textbook for Class 8 introduces a chapter titled \u201cThe Role of the Judiciary in Our Society.\u201d Unlike earlier editions, the new version discusses certain systemic challenges faced by the Indian judicial system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"issues-mentioned-in-the-textbook\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Issues_Mentioned_In_The_Textbook\"><\/span>Issues Mentioned In The Textbook<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>\u201cCorruption at various levels of the judiciary\u201d<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>\u201cMassive backlog of cases\u201d<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Shortage of judges<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Complex legal procedures<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Inadequate infrastructure<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"pending-cases-data-cited\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Pending_Cases_Data_Cited\"><\/span>Pending Cases Data Cited<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The book also provides approximate data on pending cases:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><thead><tr><th>Court<\/th><th>Number of Pending Cases<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td>Supreme Court<\/td><td>81,000 cases<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>High Courts<\/td><td>62,40,000 cases<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>District &amp; Subordinate Courts<\/td><td>4,70,00,000 cases<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>These figures were cited to illustrate the burden on the judicial system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"contrast-with-the-previous-textbook\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Contrast_With_The_Previous_Textbook\"><\/span>Contrast With The Previous Textbook<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The earlier edition of the Class 8 Social Science textbook focused primarily on:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The structure of the Indian judiciary<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The concept of an independent judiciary<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Access to justice<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The role of courts in safeguarding rights<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>While it did acknowledge delays in the justice system, it used the widely known phrase \u201cJustice delayed is justice denied\u201d to describe prolonged case pendency. However, it did not explicitly mention \u201ccorruption\u201d as a systemic challenge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"why-the-supreme-court-objected\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Why_The_Supreme_Court_Objected\"><\/span>Why The Supreme Court Objected<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Chief Justice Surya Kant reportedly took strong exception to the inclusion of the phrase \u201ccorruption in judiciary,\u201d stating that such generalised remarks could harm public confidence in the institution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The judiciary functions on the foundation of public trust. Any perception of institutional corruption, especially when presented in a school textbook for young students, may influence how future generations view the justice delivery system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The CJI emphasized that while constructive criticism is part of democracy, blanket statements that appear to tarnish the institution cannot be permitted without careful scrutiny.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"balancing-transparency-and-institutional-integrity\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Balancing_Transparency_And_Institutional_Integrity\"><\/span>Balancing Transparency And Institutional Integrity<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The issue has sparked wider debate. On one hand, transparency about systemic challenges\u2014such as backlog and infrastructure constraints\u2014can promote awareness and reform. On the other hand, describing corruption in broad terms without contextual explanation may risk oversimplification.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>India\u2019s judicial system, from the Supreme Court of India to subordinate courts, handles millions of cases annually. Pendency remains a serious concern, and reforms such as digital courts, e-filing, and increased judicial appointments are ongoing efforts to address delays.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, institutional credibility remains paramount. The Supreme Court\u2019s reaction signals its intention to protect the dignity of the judiciary while continuing internal reforms where necessary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"larger-constitutional-perspective\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Larger_Constitutional_Perspective\"><\/span>Larger Constitutional Perspective<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The judiciary is one of the three pillars of democracy, alongside the legislature and executive. Its independence is protected by the Constitution to ensure fairness, impartiality, and protection of fundamental rights.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Public discourse about its challenges must therefore strike a delicate balance:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Encourage reform<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Maintain accountability<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Preserve institutional trust<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>The remarks by the Chief Justice highlight this delicate equilibrium between critical evaluation and safeguarding constitutional institutions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"conclusion\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Conclusion\"><\/span>Conclusion<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The controversy surrounding the new NCERT Class 8 textbook reflects a broader national conversation about transparency, accountability, and the reputation of democratic institutions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As the matter develops, it may lead to a review of how sensitive institutional challenges are presented in educational materials. What remains clear is that the Supreme Court has taken a firm stance in defending the dignity of the judiciary while the country continues to grapple with issues such as case pendency and systemic reform.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In a democracy, debate is natural\u2014but so is the responsibility to protect institutions that uphold the rule of law. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Supreme Court Raises Concern Over Ncert Class 8 Book Mentioning \u201cCorruption In Judiciary\u201d In a significant development, the Supreme Court witnessed strong remarks from Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, who expressed serious concern over references to \u201ccorruption in the judiciary\u201d in a newly released Class 8 Social Science textbook by National Council of Educational<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":555,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_bbp_topic_count":0,"_bbp_reply_count":0,"_bbp_total_topic_count":0,"_bbp_total_reply_count":0,"_bbp_voice_count":0,"_bbp_anonymous_reply_count":0,"_bbp_topic_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_reply_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_forum_subforum_count":0,"two_page_speed":[],"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"_joinchat":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[68],"tags":[3192,24,28],"class_list":{"0":"post-16323","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-education-law","7":"tag-education-law","8":"tag-just-in","9":"tag-top-news"},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16323","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/555"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=16323"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16323\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=16323"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=16323"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=16323"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}